


This Feels Like Falling in Love

by ML_Fox



Series: Slumbering Hearts: Silver [2]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Comfort, Comfort No Hurt, Couch Cuddles, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Cute Zen | Ryu Hyun, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Female Main Character (Mystic Messenger), Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Forehead Kisses, Gentle Kissing, I Love Zen | Ryu Hyun, Idiots in Love, Kissing, Love, Named Main Character (Mystic Messenger), Neck Kissing, No Sex, OTP Feels, One Shot, One True Pairing, POV Female Character, POV Main Character (Mystic Messenger), POV Third Person, POV Third Person Limited, Romantic Fluff, Short One Shot, Sleep, Sleepiness, Sleepy Cuddles, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, True Love, Warm, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, Zen | Ryu Hyun's Route
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:55:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27797302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ML_Fox/pseuds/ML_Fox
Summary: "That fateful night when she knew… she loved him too."Set after Zen's good end and after end. An exploration of one of the many nights in Zen and Lux's time as a couple. Lux decides that she sleeps better with Zen than without him.
Relationships: Zen | Ryu Hyun/Main Character
Series: Slumbering Hearts: Silver [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1076805
Kudos: 23





	This Feels Like Falling in Love

**Author's Note:**

> Also inspired by Ed Sheeran's _Kiss Me_. Especially the music and that one repeated line. Listening to it adds some atmosphere to the story, but not listening to it doesn't detract anything.

“Honey?”

There's a knock on the door. Lux looks up from the sink as it opens and Zen peeks in. The hesitant expression on his face melts into happiness as their eyes meet in the mirror. He beams at her and she smiles back, turning the faucet off and wiping her hands. After showering she tends to resemble a drowned rat... but somehow Zen still looks at her like she's the most beautiful girl in the world.

"Hello, handsome," she greets.

Zen opens the door fully, releasing the steam. As she removes the towel and readies the hairdryer, she catches him watching her. Before long, his arms slip around her waist, pulling her to his solid body. With a happy hum, he kisses the side of her neck and squeezes gently. Chuckling shyly, she plugs the appliance in.

“You smell really good,” he sighs, perching his chin on her shoulder. “Almost done?”

"Yeah," she replies. "I just need to dry my hair."

"Do you need help with anything?"

"Hmm..."

She contemplates his question, looking in the mirror and ruffling her damp hair. He watches her every move, garnet eyes focused in the same way they do when he reviews monitors and dailies. When their eyes meet he grins. Her heart skips a beat at his brilliant, handsome face. Unable to help herself, she turns to him and kisses his temple, hugging his arms when he squeezes her waist again. His needy affection inspires her. Returning his smile, she gestures at the hairdryer.

“Then, do you mind helping me?” she says. “With my hair?”

“I’d love to!”

After kissing her shoulder, he guides her to sit on the tub. Then, he walks out of the bathroom, returning seconds later with a round brush in hand. He stands behind her and soon she hears the loud whirring of the hairdryer. A blast of hot air hits her, warming her cooling body. She can't see what he's doing, but she feels him dividing her hair into sections. Then, he runs the hairdryer along each lock, using the brush to detangle. Lux sighs as her muscles relax; she gives into Zen's tender touch as he dries her hair. It's like being in a salon, except he's extra careful and gentle with her. She can tell he doesn't want to hurt her... even with something expected like hair pulling or stubborn tangles.

"Are you going to sleep after this?" he says.

"I want to, yeah..."

As if to prove it a yawn overcomes her as she sinks further into warm comfort. The lids of her eyes grow heavy as Zen continues to spoil her. With him, she's always so relaxed. There's unwavering security in his presence that she never senses the need to be on guard. Around him, she can be vulnerable like this... because he'll treat her kindly. Because he'll treat her with so much love. It makes her want to be greedy; she wants more... more of his time and affections. The corners of her lips tug up in inspiration. She looks up at him with a tempting smile.

"Come to bed with me?"

Zen pauses as desire flit across his face.

"I want to," he says, "I _really_ do, but..."

Her smile turns understanding as he trails off.

"You still have work to do," she says.

"I'm sorry, princess."

"It's okay."

Zen leans down and she receives his apologetic kiss. She raises her hand to his cheek, stroking gently as he runs the tip of his tongue across the seam of her mouth. A warm feeling spreads within her, feeling like an internal hug. Then, she picks up the absence of noise. When Zen pulls away and she catches her breath, she realises that the hairdryer is off. After another kiss to her forehead, he tidies up.

"I'm done," he says with a smile.

With his help, she stands up. She looks into the mirror and gasps at how gorgeous her hair looks. It's shiny and sleek. His technique brought significant volume to her usually flat hair. Hesitantly, she touches it, afraid of ruining the masterpiece.

"Hyun...!"

"Oh, my babe said my name!"

At his giddy reply, she meets his eyes in the mirror, returning his happy grin. The absolute joy he exudes makes him radiant. He's sparkling, brighter than the lights... brighter than anything in the world. Biting her lips, she smiles to herself as she continues to watch him. Her cheeks redden at his brilliance; he's like her own personal sun.

"Did I do something right?" he teases, hugging her to him again.

"You did something _amazing_ ," she says. "You are incredible."

"Well, the stylists taught me... but it's nothing compared to what they do."

He hides his face in her neck and she giggles at the sight of his bright red ears. People who say he’s self-absorbed don’t know him. Those who say he’s narcissistic don’t bother to look deep within him. It’s tragic… how the world is missing out on this… this cute side of him. No one knows that the smallest compliments still fluster him. That he’s so humble, recognising the skills of others.

Oh well.

More for her.

She takes his hand and leads him out of the bathroom.

“I kind of feel like I shouldn’t be sleeping with this hair,” she jokes.

Once in the bedroom he takes the lead and helps her to bed.

“What do you mean?” he says with a confused frown.

Giggling, she does a little dance and whips her hair back and forth.

“Shouldn’t I go out and show it off?”

Zen bursts out laughing at her little display. After pulling the covers up her legs he leans down and captures her lips properly. They share chuckles between kisses as a playful mood settles over them. Before long they pull away from each other. With an amused smile, he taps her nose as she reclines against the pillows.

"You're too cute for your own good," he says.

She crinkles the appendage, earning another bout of laughter.

"And so beautiful," he continues, brushing strands of hair away from her face. "Too beautiful. Actually, you're so gorgeous that I'm scared you'll cause some heart attacks if you go out now."

She blushes at his compliment. "Do I... give you heart attacks?"

"Every day," he sighs. "I'm surprised I'm not dead yet."

"Zen!"

"It's true."

He cups her cheek and brushes his thumb against her lips. Then he winks at her.

"Why do you think I kiss you all the time?"

"For... resuscitation?"

"Exactly."

"Then... you better kiss me again."

That's all the permission Zen needs. He hovers over her as he kisses her again. This time he's more persistent, bolder. Lux opens her mouth to him, whimpering as his tongue sweeps inside to taste her. Her hands fist around his shirt as she holds on to him. Meanwhile, he cups the back of her head and keeps her in place. The need to breathe separated them, but Zen doesn't stop. She bites her tingling lips as he rains kisses down her jaw and throat.

"S-sure you don't want to come to bed now?" she says, breathless.

Zen groans with regret. "I really need to work on this script."

"Okay," she says after a disappointed sigh.

He raises his head and her breath hitches at the sight of him—flushed with kiss-swollen lips. The pupils of his eyes are wide with desire for her. But the smile he gives her is tender. She returns it, closing her eyes as he presses a tender kiss on her forehead.

"Sleep, babe," he says. "You have work tomorrow too."

"All right."

"I won't be long," he promises. "I'll turn in soon."

"Okay..."

"Good night, honey."

After another kiss he extricates himself. Lux watches him walk away and after one last smile he turns off the lights. He pulls the door, but leaves it ajar for her. She finds comfort in that sliver of light. Unlike the darkness of a closed door, that sliver of light means he's not far away. She can still go to him. He's still available. He'll still welcome her.

Lux turns, a little sad at the emptiness of his side of the bed. It reminds her of that night after he rescued her from that would-be kidnapper. The moment she stepped into his apartment he gave her his bedroom and took residence on the couch. He was so careful with her. He always gave her space and made it clear that he didn't want to take advantage of her vulnerability. He stayed resolute even after her many assurances. She had to concede that he had a point; certain impulsive things tend to happen out of trauma. It was no good to push things towards the point of regret.

So, she followed his lead.

But... it didn't soothe her loneliness... or save her from her fear.

Lux sighs and tries to go to sleep, but now that she remembers the past restlessness settles in her body. She tosses and turns for a few minutes, trying to find the best position to sleep. How frustrating. Minutes ago she all but nodded off. Now attempting to do so makes her feel all kinds of wrong. After one last attempt, she sits up with a huff. She combs through her hair with regret... she's ruined Zen's masterpiece by now. Glancing at the door, she makes a swift decision. She throws the covers back and pads out of the room.

Arriving in the living room, she smiles at the sight that greets her. Zen sits on the couch, surrounded by open books. His foot taps in beat with the music flowing from the speakers. After careful listening, she recognises it as the songs he needs to learn for his next production. His eyes are focused again as he reads the script before him. Every few seconds he takes the pen tucked behind his ear and writes some notes on the pages. Sometimes, he consults the books before him. The glistening mask on his face somehow tops the whole picture. Now, he looks like the perfect image of a relaxed, yet professional actor.

Sighing, he sets the script aside before removing the mask. That's when he notices her standing just out of the hallway. Though the mask covers his face she catches concern replacing his surprise. He disposes of the mask and beckons her over. Like a child who doesn't want to get in trouble, she approaches with caution.

"What's wrong, honey?" he says, patting the residue into his skin.

Lux winces. "I don't want to bother you."

"Never. What's up?"

"I can't sleep without you."

As soon as the words leave her lips her cheeks redden. They burn hotter when she sees Zen's stunned expression. That was a little _too_ honest. Also, she said that a little _too_ quickly. Looking around she realises that he is as busy as he says. Isn't it selfish of her to go to him for comfort when he also has his own things to take care of?

"I mean... all my sleepiness went away," she corrects. Then she feigns a wide yawn, complete with the teary eyes. "I just wanted to see what you're up to and... well... I'm sleepy now so I'll go back to bed."

She turns from him, embarrassed.

"Good night—"

“Come here, babe.”

Zen talks before Lux leaves the room. She faces him again, eyes widening when she sees what he’s doing. One by one he closes the study materials and places them in a neat stack on the coffee table. Then, he opens his arms to her. A kind smile now replaces his stunned expression, making her heart skip a beat.

"I don't want to bother you," she repeats.

He winks. "Honestly, after leaving you I couldn't concentrate."

Her cheeks heat up more at his honesty. She doesn't want to stand in the way of his productivity... but when he opens his arms wider and waves her over she can no longer resist. She skips to him, nearly barrelling into his arms in her haste. After some manoeuvring, she's snuggled against him and the back of the couch. They share laughter as she plucks the pen from his ear and placed it somewhere that's easier to access. He wraps his arm around her shoulders, gently petting her hair. She lays her head on his shoulder. Then, she carefully pulls his hair out of hiding, curling her fingers around the silky locks. With a smile, she looks up at him. He kisses her forehead.

“Comfy?” he whispers.

She nods with a deep breath. He smells like his favourite soap and laundry detergent. Underneath is the refreshing scent of the facial mask—aloe vera and cucumber. Lux takes another deep breath, letting the smell of him calm every inch of her body. Craning her neck, she presses a gentle kiss on the underside of his jaw, smiling at his pleased sigh. The beginning of drowsiness slips into her consciousness, weighing on her lids once more.

Silence falls between them as he resumes reading. Lux's gaze blurs as her stare goes far away. The steady rhythm of his heart... the way he caresses her hair... the melody coming from the speakers... it turns out they're the perfect remedy for her restlessness. Once in a while, he hums along, soothing her worn nerves further. The moment she settles in his arms the past is just that. The anxiety that had her in its vice-like grip is now completely gone. He fills her mind, easing her to a state of peace. She holds onto his shirt as drowsiness continues to weave through her consciousness.

As she continues to slip under, she realises that she's felt like this before. This particular moment feels so familiar that she's sure it's already happened. She closes her eyes, hoping it will help her concentrate and bring up a memory. She plans to open them again, but now she finds that she can't. Oh well... she still wants to remember what it was...

Oh...

She remembers.

She called him…

He read her Cinderella…

And told her she was his Prince Charming.

That fateful night when she knew… she loved him too

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr | FF.net
> 
> 1\. I miss him so much, folks. I don't even understand. Like I wanna replay his route. Also Jihyun's route. They're the softest boys.
> 
> 2\. This story is based on two different posts with the same idea. I cannot for the life of me remember where I found them, but one talks about sleeping on your partner while they play video games. The other, which this story is actually based on, talks about sleeping on Zen while he reads a script. So a massive thank you to the people who came up with that idea.
> 
> And that's it! As always thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed! Any and all feedback will forever be appreciated. Stay safe and stay healthy!


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